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       Sheridan - That Man Portage
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Date/Time: 03/28/2024 02:16PM
Sheridan - That Man Portage

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Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
GreyOwl 09/25/2017 08:38AM
Just got back from a trip up the Man Chain doing the Sheridan to That Man Portage. My partner who is a portaging beast named that Portage "The seven hills of groan". Next time we will take the No Name Lake route from Carp.
showalbc 08/29/2017 08:32PM
We just got back from the same area. We decided to do the Carp - No Name - That Man route on the way in and the That Man - Sheridan - Carp route on the way out so we could directly compare them. Huge thanks to those above that posted the correct locations of the portage landings on the No Name lake. I saw that post before we left and marked my maps correctly.


I'm not sure which route is easier. On the way in, the portages were shorter but they are steep in sections. Both landings on the No Name lake are small and somewhat mucky. I've been on worse but they are not good by any means. The Sheridan - That Man portage is a bear. It is long, up and down, and has some large granite slabs to navigate. The landing on the That Man side is still somewhat obstructed by the blow downs from years earlier.


I'd probably go the No Name route if I go again. The portages are shorter and it does cut some paddling time off as well being the more direct route. One note for others, on the No Name side of the portage to That Man there is a false landing maybe 200 yds west of the real landing. Someone had cut some small trees to block it, but we stopped there first to scout since we heard the portage was hard to find. Just a heads up.
Ausable 08/25/2017 09:06AM
quote knapp9: "Just to close the loop on this topic, we recently got back from our trip into the Man Chain. Ate fish every night we were there :) . The portages however were another story. In retrospect we probably should have taken the portages Ausable mapped."
It sounds like you enjoyed the trip despite the portages. I, too, like the Man chain of lakes.


The portage from Carp to No-name has a steep section on the Carp side, but then it levels off. The portage from No-name to That Man has a muddy landing on the No-name side, then it goes up and over a ridge. It is steep on both sides, but it is relatively short – maybe a little over twice the length of the portage from That Man to High Man (the lake on the way to Emerald). I prefer those portages to that out of Emerald to High Man: that one, as you know, has a section on the Emerald side that I characterize as a goat trail on a cliff face.


I've found that the Sheridan to That Man portage can drain my energy on a hot day. It has a steeply sloped granite slab that requires very careful negotiation and a short narrow section right next to the stream's ravine. The best that I can say about it is that I've been on much worse portages.
Frenchy19 08/24/2017 08:33PM
Good to know that I am not the only one who thinks that portage is tough!
knapp9 08/24/2017 05:18PM
Just to close the loop on this topic, we recently got back from our trip into the Man Chain. Ate fish every night we were there :) . The portages however were another story. In retrospect we probably should have taken the portages Ausable mapped.


On our way in, our group scouted out the Carp to no name lake Ausable pinpointed. Group consensus was it was too steep. Little did we know :( . So we took the 2 Sheridan portages. OMG, the Sheridan to That Man portage was indeed open, but also a killer ... long and up/down all the way. We were beat by the time we got to That Man. On the way out we wanted to avoid that portage in the worst way so we went back thru Emerald. Ended up with 3 portages, steep out of That Man and steep down into Emerald. Very tough. FWIW I think Ryan and Ausable were right ... the unmarked portages (while also steep) are probably easier and shorter than either the Sheridan or Emerald routes.

Oh yeah, and now there is a new beaver dam in Carp you have to cross at the entrance to the Emerald portage. Ugh.
pastorjsackett 05/14/2017 08:30PM
That's cool Frenchy! We are going up for Memorial Day weekend, going up Carp, base camping and day tripping to Sheridan, Man Chain, etc.


My daughter is a guide on the Gunflint and she's meeting us there. It's going to be special.
Frenchy19 05/06/2017 11:09AM
quote pastorjsackett: "I'm headed up here with my group in three weeks and we are pumped!!



First Q trip and my daughter is coming too....it's one of the last times i'll see her before she starts her year in Rwanda with the church mission. "



Love when my girls accompany me! Last two years I have been blessed with the presence of my daughter Allie for 10 day trips in early/mid June. This year she will be taking an anatomy class in Sioux Falls to wrap her her freshman year in college, so we will not be traveling together. When are you putting in?
Frenchy19 05/06/2017 11:07AM
quote rdmarr: "good info on portages, but can any tell me how good or bad fishing is on the man lake chain? also what is most abundant out of the grand slam? ive never been on man chain and plan on going"


I like to fish, but I am not very good at it. A couple years ago a buddy and I hit the grand slam on That Man. If I can catch a lake trout there, anyone can! We went in Early June and caught walleyes, lake trout and smallies from the shore of our campsite.
pastorjsackett 05/02/2017 08:45PM
I'm headed up here with my group in three weeks and we are pumped!!


First Q trip and my daughter is coming too....it's one of the last times i'll see her before she starts her year in Rwanda with the church mission.
knapp9 04/11/2017 11:32AM
quote rdmarr: "can any tell me how good or bad fishing is on the man lake chain? also what is most abundant out of the grand slam? ive never been on man chain and plan on going"


Only there once before for a day. Going for a whole week this year because everyone we talk to who've been to the man chain ... and I mean EVERYONE ... rave about the fishing. Its the only reason we're going this time.
knapp9 04/11/2017 11:30AM
I made sure to mark each end of the portage with my GPS unit last year. "


Thank you so much.


I'm smiling to myself because years ago my "techie" brother-in-law brought along his new toy on one of our canoe trips. It was a hand held GPS locator. On the way out we all got lost on an island-infested lake. One the way back we got lost again in the middle of that same lake. Our partners in the other canoe got into a shouting match over where we were on the map. As we sat there dead in the water waiting & listening, I asked by B-i-L if he took GPS readings of the portage on the way out. His face lit up, and we took off. All I heard was, "Hey you're going the wrong way! We got the map" My B-i-L shouted back, "But we've got the GPS." I looked back and they were paddling like hell to catch up. True story
Ausable 04/11/2017 09:18AM
quote RyanCpET: "quote knapp9: "quote RyanCpET: "You can also get from Carp to That Man without going through Sheridan or Emerald, if this were to happen again. The portage from Carp to a no name lake and then to That Man is shorter and easier than going through Emerald."How do you find this portage from Carp?

"
Here is a picture of where they are located. The one from Carp is easy to find in that cove. We had a little more difficulty finding the portage from the no name lake."


One reason that the portage between No-name & That Man is difficult to find is that some maps, including the one above, show the portage in the wrong place. I made sure to mark each end of the portage with my GPS unit last year. The map attached here shows its correct location.
RyanCpET 04/10/2017 02:34PM
quote knapp9: "quote RyanCpET: "You can also get from Carp to That Man without going through Sheridan or Emerald, if this were to happen again. The portage from Carp to a no name lake and then to That Man is shorter and easier than going through Emerald."
How do you find this portage from Carp?



"



Here is a picture of where they are located. The one from Carp is easy to find in that cove. We had a little more difficulty finding the portage from the no name lake.
knapp9 04/10/2017 02:11PM
quote RyanCpET: "You can also get from Carp to That Man without going through Sheridan or Emerald, if this were to happen again. The portage from Carp to a no name lake and then to That Man is shorter and easier than going through Emerald."
How do you find this portage from Carp?


rdmarr 04/10/2017 08:47AM
good info on portages, but can any tell me how good or bad fishing is on the man lake chain? also what is most abundant out of the grand slam? ive never been on man chain and plan on going
RyanCpET 04/06/2017 06:50PM
You can also get from Carp to That Man without going through Sheridan or Emerald, if this were to happen again. The portage from Carp to a no name lake and then to That Man is shorter and easier than going through Emerald.
Eyedocron 04/02/2017 05:43PM
Also, for those thinking of going through Emerald (a very nice lake), the portage from That Man to the tiny lake in between is a steep climb and on to Emerald is a steep downhill. Neither one long, just steep.
Eyedocron 04/02/2017 05:33PM
I have taken that portage about 10 times, and heartily endorse staying out of the log and boulder blocked creek bottom. When headed NE, take the dry landing down the SE shore a bit, as reported. When headed to Sheridan, the advice is easy: Always take the left higher fork to stay high and dry on an unblocked trail.
knapp9 04/02/2017 02:40PM
Hey thanks everyone. We assumed it would be cleared by now but wanted to double check. Didn't know there was a stream from That Man, thanks for the heads up.
Frenchy19 04/02/2017 09:18AM
Was there last year. You can get through.
Ausable 04/01/2017 10:36PM
I understood what you meant. I wrote about the Sheridan to That Man portage, and it is clear.

I had heard from our outfitter in 2016 that some people were reporting that the Sheridan-That Man portage was impassable. However, when I spoke with the ranger at Prairie Portage who was responsible for the portage crews in 2016, he assured us that the crew had cleared the portage that started some 50 yards or so south of the stream that flows from That Man into Sheridan.
knapp9 04/01/2017 08:15PM
Not sure I was clear about which portage I'm asking about. The one going east from Sheridan to That Man lake is the portage I saw blocked and want to know if it is now open. The portage from Carp to Sheridan was okay, and it was the one I went uphill from Carp to Sheridan close to the steam.
Ausable 04/01/2017 06:15PM
I was through there in August 2016. The portage is clear. However, many people assume that the portage starts on Sheridan next to the stream. That old trail is now impassable. The actual portage starts about 50 yards or so south of the stream. You will go up hill a bit and then down to meet the trail along the stream.
knapp9 04/01/2017 05:53PM
Went there in August 2015 and the portage was impassable due to blow down. Had to go thru Emerald. Planning to go back this summer. Anyone up there since then and know if the Sheridan portage has been cleared? Thanks.